Return to Shamballa
by Darth Synkka
Summary: It won't be easy, but they had to do it. They couldn't abandon those they loved. They had to find a way to make alchemy work in this world and there might be someone who can help. A scientist is working on opening the gate. But they aren't the only ones after him. The Thule Society hasn't given up on finding Shamballa and with Hohenheim dead; they will stop at nothing to find him.
1. Prologue - The Road So Far

**Author's Note: Wow, I'm on fire. Not only did finally update Golden Trio but now I'm posting _two_ new stories? I don't know, maybe I'm just getting braver with posting my writing on the internet. To be honest, I really didn't expect Golden Trio to be as popular as it is. My Ratchet and Clank novelization is somehing I'm just doing for fun but this is a story I want to take as seriously as Golden Trio because of how much I love Fullmetal Alchemist. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or the characters or the Conqueror of Shamballa movie. I'm just really obsessed with the anime.**

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In the year 1915, Edward Elric succeeded in returning his younger brother Alphonse to his human body. He was ten-years-old and had no memory of his time in the armour, but he was human again. Ed, on the other hand, lost his newly-restored limbs and was dropped in a parallel universe where the world was recovering from a global scale war (they called it "The Great War") and the country of Germany was left in bankruptcy. The year in this world was 1921.

Stranded in a world he didn't understand, Ed was stuck living with the last person he wanted to see; Van Hohenheim, his estranged father. A year later, Hohenheim set out to return his son to his own world while Ed moved in with his new friend Alfons Heiderich, this world's version of Al.

One year after Hohenheim's disappearance, a Nazi elitist group known as the Thule Society attempted to conquer Amestris (a country on the other side of the gateway that separated the two worlds) but failed thanks to efforts of General Roy Mustang, the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric and his younger brother Alphonse Elric. Unfortunately, Ed and Al had to jump through the gate to close it from the other side. Of course, getting home was a lot harder than they thought it would be since there wasn't much information on alchemy in this world; this world where alchemy was discredited and abandoned as a pseudo-science.

In the meantime, the Elric brothers stayed in an apartment that Ed had paid for while they searched tirelessly for a way to return home.

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 **Author's Note: Yeah, I know, shitty prologue but this is just a recap of the Conqueror of Shamballa movie before getting into the actual story. Like I said, I really loved Fullmetal Alchemist and I really wanted to write a fanfic for it. I actually have multiple fanfics for it in the works, I even have a couple of AU stories for Brotherhood (which I really enjoyed for its higher stakes) but I'll get into that later. Anyway, since Golden Trio is my top priority, I will be updating this story based on level of motivation and the amount of feedback I get. It doesn't even have to be reviews. Favourites, follows, any indication that people are actually reading would make continuing this story worth it.**

 **~ Darth Synkka**


	2. Chapter 1 - The Letter

**Disclaimer: I don't own the masterpiece that is FMA. I just love playing around with the characters.**

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It was a clear evening in Munich, Germany. It was surprisingly peaceful considering the events of four months ago. While Eakhart attempted to conquer a whole other universe on the other side of the Gateway of Truth, a group of Nazis attempted to overthrow the government in Berlin. They, too, failed and things had been chaotic throughout Germany since.

In one of Munich's apartments lived a pair of brothers who did not belong in this world. Edward and Alphonse Elric belonged in Amestris, where they had friends and family waiting for them. At least, they hoped that they were still waiting for them. They knew that Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye would do their jobs regardless of their personal feelings on the matter but what about their childhood friend, Winry Rockbell? They had left her so many times. How long would she continue to wait before she realized that they weren't worth waiting for anymore? That _Ed_ wasn't worth waiting for? Ed knew full well that he wasn't worth all the trouble that he caused Winry over the years but…when he saw her last, she didn't seem angry. She hadn't even wrenched him like he expected her to. She had just thrown her arms around his shoulders and had said: "Welcome home." Damn it, why didn't he at least have the decency to hug her back?

Ed used his hand to massage the stump that was his left leg uncomfortably, his face twisted in a painful grimace. It was getting achy like that more and more often lately which was odd since his automail only hurt like this during bad weather. Still, that wouldn't stop him from finding a way home; not just for Winry, but for Al too. His little brother had jumped through the permanent gate, knowing that there may not even _be_ a way home, just so that they wouldn't be apart again. There had to be a way home; there just _had_ to be. If the Thule Society could do it, so could they.

In the kitchen was Alphonse who had insisted on cleaning up after dinner. It was their usual system; Ed cooked and Al cleaned up afterwards. Thankfully, Ed didn't usually leave him that big of a mess to clean up.

Al frowned at the dirty water. Everything about this world was so different than what he was used to. This world was so drab and depressing; recovering from a war and in danger of being pulled into another. The people were so different too. It was shocking enough that Mr. Hughes was alive in this world but he was total jerk. He and Gracia were not even married. Sure, this Maes Hughes was just as in love with her as their Hughes but she didn't seem to like him very much. Their ideals were just too different. At least Gracia was still her kind, gentle self.

Al's thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at the door. He went to get it as he knew better than anyone that Edward was infamous for being dead to the world when he was engrossed in a book. The thirteen-year-old was taken aback by the identity of their visitor. It was Fuhrer Bradley…err…Fritz Lang. Al cursed himself for making that mistake again. Ed had warned him about how many familiar faces were in this world and only some shared the same names. His own other self apparently had the same first name (just spelled differently) with a different last name. Some people, like Officer Hughes, had the exact same name. Then, there were people like Noah. Al didn't know the gypsy girl very well as she left Germany shortly after Alfons Heidrich's funeral (she said something about Germany not being safe for her anymore) but her resemblance to Rose Thomas from their world was uncanny. Neither of the brothers knew if Noah truly was the other Rose but Al did accidentally call her that a couple of times. Thankfully, she didn't take any offence to it. She was fully aware of their situation and didn't need to use her psychic powers to guess that she must have looked a lot like this Rose girl.

"Oh, hello Mr. Lang," Al greeted in the language of this country, polite as ever. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Ah, I was wondering if I could speak to your brother," Fritz replied.

"He's busy with work," Alphonse told him, trying to keep the annoyance that he was beginning to feel from creeping into his voice. Ed had taken Fritz's offer for a job to pay the rent for the apartment but it wasn't full time. Edward said over, and over again that he didn't plan on staying in Germany much longer and that a permanent job wasn't necessary. Why was he bothering them during the night? He sincerely hoped that the man wasn't here to drag Ed back to work. His brother was already stressed out as is.

"Ah, well then, perhaps I can give _you_ the letter?" Fritz asked him. Al raised his eyebrows at the man. Letter? What letter?

"What letter?" he said aloud in Amestrian. After seeing the question mark expression Fritz's face, he repeated the question, this time in German.

"It's for Mr. Van Hohenheim; your father. I know that he passed recently and I thought the letter should go to you boys." Fritz took a letter out of his coat pocket and handed it to Al.

"Thank you, sir, and good evening."

"And to you as well, Alphonse," Fritz replied as he walked down the hallway and Al closed the door.

Al looked at the letter curiously. The neat, looping handwriting reminded the boy of Ed's back when he still had both hands. Fritz was right, the letter was addressed to their dad but he didn't recognize who it was from. It was sent from Berlin by someone named Eduard Heiderich. Heiderich…that was the last name of his other self, wasn't it?

Al shook his head free of these thoughts. That didn't matter right now. He went over to where his older brother was furiously and tirelessly pouring over various texts. It seemed that no matter how much time passed, Edward never changed. Back when they were searching for the Philosopher's Stone, Ed would spend hours at the Central library looking for any potential leads. Those days seemed like simpler times, oddly enough. They were both older now, at least, Al _felt_ older. Despite his appearance, he was _seven_ teen, not thirteen, though he felt a lot older than even that. Both brothers did.

The blonde approached his older brother who didn't notice that Al was there. Typical. After two attempts at calling his name, Al snapped his fingers in front of Ed's face which seemed to do the trick. The older brother was startled back into reality, a look of wild confusion on his face as he yelped out a curse.

"Brother, I swear if you keep reading like that, you'll go blind as a bat," Al joked, switching back to their native tongue. That was only half a jest. He was worried about his older brother. Always pushing himself beyond his body's limits. Unsurprisingly, Ed scoffed at the comment.

"I'll be fine. You gotta stop worrying so much. That's _my_ job," he said. Al decided not to say anything about that.

"Fine, don't say I didn't warn you when you're twenty-five and need glasses."

"Oh, shut up!" There was no real malice or anger in his voice. Al chuckled a little.

"By the way," he said before Ed could go back to his reading. "Mr. Lang stopped by just now."

"What did he want?" Ed groaned, feeling rather annoyed. Damn that bastard. The only reason he took the job with him was because he wouldn't stop bothering him until he caved. "I swear, if he wants me to come in late again…"

"No, no, it has nothing to do with that. He just wanted to drop off a letter," Al explained. Ed's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. A letter? The only mail they ever got was the occasional letter from Noah who was currently living in Belgium.

"Why would we get mail _this_ late at night?" he questioned.

"Well… _we_ didn't. The letter came from Berlin and it's for…well…it's for Dad," Al stammered nervously. He knew full well that Edward detested their father and bringing him up was what caused most their fights. Even back when they were little kids, their worst fights were always about Hohenheim. It seemed that very little changed in that regard.

Ed frowned at the mention of their father. Hohenheim left Ed more confused, frustrated and angry than anyone ever had. The man had never been around in his or Al's lives. Many years ago, when Ed and Al were small children, not even old enough to go to school yet, Hohenheim left in the middle of the night and never bothered to return until long after Trisha died. He abandoned them, it was plain and simple. At least, it was simple to the elder brother. Al just didn't have it in his heart to be angry at their father. Ed, on the other hand, didn't have it in his heart to forgive him. He tried-seriously-but Hohenheim had let him down too many times for that.

Many years ago, their mother had fallen ill and the brothers had overheard the doctor grimly tell Winry's grandmother, Pinako Rockbell, that the chances that Trisha would survive were quite slim. After that, Edward had sent letter after letter, begging Hohenheim to come home. He was a scared ten-year-old, and, as much as he _said_ he didn't want his father there, all he wanted at the time was for Dad to swoop in and save the day. He didn't. And Edward never forgave him for that.

When Ed first landed in Germany, he felt as helpless as a newborn. The Gate had torn away his newly restored limbs before dumping him in this place and it was Hohenheim that found him unconscious and bleeding in the streets of Berlin. Being seen like that by the man he hated more than anyone was the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to him.

At first, Edward was rather hostile with the man. He did not want to be stuck with someone he trusted even less than Roy Mustang. At least the Bastard General was _there_. Hohenheim was not. But the thing was that as much as he didn't want to be with his father, he didn't want to be alone either. Alone in a world he didn't understand and couldn't escape from. Of course, a little less than a year later, Hohenheim disappeared out of nowhere. No note, no notice, no goodbye. Just…gone. And now the bastard was gone for good as he died to open that permanent gate.

"Is it now?" Ed said, careful to keep his tone free of bitterness. He just got Al back after two years of being stranded in this awful place. There was no way he was going to ruin it over a petty argument that they've had over, and over again. By the expression on Al's face, he was not successful.

"Brother, Dad is _dead_. Can't you cut him just a _bit_ of slack?" said Al.

"I tried!" It was true, he did _try_ to give him a break. Hell, Ed even went as far as to call him "Dad" but it always made him cringe as the term sounded incredibly forced even to his own ears. It was a meaningless term that was empty and awkward on his tongue. Al raised a questioning eyebrow at his brother, almost as if he was saying; "Did you? Did you really?"

"I'm _not_ doing this. Not now; just…tell me about the letter. Who was Hohenheim in contact with?" Hohenheim…his father's actual name (well, his surname anyway) which came out more naturally to Edward than "Dad." Al wasn't too keen on arguing either, it seemed, as he immediately accepted the subject change and spoke no more of their father. No matter how much he wanted to.

"Umm…" he took out the envelope. "Someone named Eduard Heiderich. I guess he lives in Berlin. I haven't opened the letter yet so I don't know what it says," Al explained. Heiderich? Ed thought in surprise. Did that mean that Alfons and this Eduard were related? Ed suddenly remembered Alfons mentioning that he had an older brother back when he first moved in with him. The problem was that, according to Alfons, his elder brother had been killed in an air raid back in the Great War.

"Heiderich, huh?" Edward mused aloud. "I wonder if he's one of Alfons' relatives?" Except Alfons had no living relatives. Hell, the guy had been living with family friends when Edward first met him back in Berlin.

"Maybe," Al said shortly. It was weird hearing his name being used to refer to someone else. It was even weirder to talk about his dead alternate self. Ed didn't talk about Alfons much as he felt that his death was his fault. Alfons had died to help his friend and roommate get back to Amestris which turned out to be in vain. Ed was right back where he started; stranded in Germany and looking for a way home. "You know, a lot of people share last names but aren't related," the younger blonde added.

"True," Ed said as opened the letter. It said, in big, neat handwriting that Edward couldn't help but be a little jealous of;

 _Dear Mr. Hohenheim,_

 _It has been quite some time since you last sent me a letter so I thought I would send you one. I know you warned me against studying the Gate but I couldn't help it. After what happened to me back in London, how can I not study it?_

 _Anyway, about what we discussed last year, I think I can do it. I'm so close to cracking open the Gate, you don't need the Thule Society. I just need a little more time to test out my hunch. I know you said that you were in a hurry to make this happen but do you honestly want to sell yourself out to the bad guys? I mean, they tried to overthrow the Berlin government for heaven's sake! I always knew that the Nazis were evil._

 _Please, send me a reply as soon as you can to the address on the envelope (I moved again, obviously). And, if you can, let me know if you hear anything about my little brother. I thought he might have come to Berlin because we have old family friends living here but it was a bust. Turns out he left with a friend years ago. I would appreciate anything you can tell me about him. I'm looking forward to hearing from you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Eduard Heiderich_

Edward couldn't believe what he just read and Al was surprised as well. Someone who knew about the Gateway of Truth and studied it on _this_ side? This might just be the lucky break they were looking for.

"Maybe we should go and talk to him," Al suggested. "If he really _is_ close to opening the Gate, then maybe he'd be able to help us."

"You're right, talking to this guy might actually be the lucky break we were looking for," Ed replied in agreement. The older brother kept quiet about the fact that Alfons was probably the younger brother that was mentioned at the end of the letter. Why would Alfons say that his big brother was dead if he was looking for him? Maybe he got some bad information somewhere? Maybe Alfons and his brother had a falling out that ended in them parting on bad terms? Maybe it wasn't even Alfons at all.

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asked, recognizing the face his brother made when he was thinking hard about something.

"Yeah. I was just thinking that we'll need to buy train tickets to Berlin. It won't be cheap but in the long run, the train will cost less than refilling the car with gas," Ed replied. It wasn't a _total_ lie. He was honestly thinking about how they were going to get to Berlin and taking the train would truly be both cheaper _and_ faster than driving there. If Al guessed that there was more to it than that, he didn't say.

"Good point. And you should probably call Fritz too. I mean, we could be a while." Ed snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"Only if we're lucky; which, most of the time, we are not," he said. Ed left the room to where their telephone was to make the call. Fritz took the news surprisingly well considering that, if the boys were lucky, they wouldn't be coming back to Munich. He'd said that when he got the letter, he expected them to leave.

With that dealt with, Al packed up what he thought they would need (he put a lot more thought into these things than his elder brother) while Ed got into his car and drove to the train station, hoping to get some tickets for the morning train. Edward was by his nature impatient and there was no way he was going to put a real lead on hold for longer than he had to. Hell, part of him wanted to leave right now. Not that Al would go for that.

 _Always the sensible one,_ he thought as he drove to the station.

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 **Author's Note: So here is the first chapter and the actual start of the story. I hope that it's okay and that the characters aren't OOC or anything like that. Still leave me a review, a favourite or a follow because I do like reviews. Just don't be mean about it.**

 **~ Darth Synkka**


	3. Chapter 2 - On the Road Again

**Author's Note: Wow, I got a review within twelve hours of posting this story. That's really awesome :) Keep them coming so long as you are nice about it. Enjoy**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or Conqueror of Shamballa**

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The next morning was rather hectic as it mostly involved going over their possessions and making sure that they didn't forget anything. Thankfully, if there was anything the Elrics were used to, it was long train rides. After eating a quick breakfast, the brothers were off on yet another adventure. The pair decided to walk there over taking Ed's car as they did plan to take the train anyway. The Elrics boys were used to walking around big cities as the ability to drive was one that Edward only acquired a couple of years ago.

Money was difficult to come by in this bankrupt country as marks (the old currency) were practically useless, but Ed managed to pay for the morning train the night before thanks to his job with Fritz. Filled with a strong sense of déjà-vu, Ed and Al got on the train and were off to Berlin. It had been a while since it was just the two of them, travelling by train but it felt just like old times.

"Brother, what's Berlin like?" Al asked to fill the silence. Ed shrugged in reply.

"Big and very populated. Very industrialized too." Ed didn't particularly want to talk about Berlin. It wasn't like it was a vacation. They were only going there for one reason and that was talking to someone who could potentially get them home.

"So…like Central then?"

"Kinda," Edward replied airily with a slight shrug. Central City was absolutely not something he wanted to think about. Home was constantly on his mind enough as it was, the last thing he needed was to talk about it. To be honest, talk of home always seemed like a fantasy, a dream that would never actually come true. Ed never said any of this to his little brother, no need to crush his hopes, but he really doubted that there would be a way home. Not with _his_ luck.

But then again, he once thought the same way about the existence of the Philosopher's Stone and the likelihood of ever getting Al back to his real body. It all seemed like a fantasy, a dream that would never actually be realized. Yet, the blood-red stone _did_ exist, they did find it and Al was returned to his original state (literally, as his body picked up at the age where it left off). He didn't give up back then, no matter how tempting it was, and he wasn't about to start now. Besides, they, for once, had a solid lead. They would get home; Edward would make sure of it.

Al thought a lot about the person who wrote the letter. It was for his father who Al only got to talk to once. He'd been nearly fifteen-years-old at the time and still in the armour when their father returned to Resembool. Edward had been…less than impressed to see their estranged father after being gone for twelve years. Alphonse, on the other hand, had been excited to finally meet the man. Hohenheim had left back when Al was simply too young to have any memories of him. Hell, if it weren't for pictures, the younger Elric wouldn't have even known what his dad looked like. He got to spend one night with the mysterious man only for him to pack up and leave the next morning.

"Hey Brother, you know how everyone from back home has an alternate self that lives here?" Al began.

"Yes…?" Edward drawled out the word questioningly with a blonde eyebrow raised.

"Do you think that Eduard Heiderich could be the other you? I mean, you guys have the same name," Al inquired. It was reasonable assumption but it made Edward frown guiltily.

"That's impossible," he replied. "The other me died years ago." Al's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

"How do you know?" he asked. Did Alfons say something? It was very possible that Alfons and Eduard, the writer of the letter, were related. They did share the same last name, after all. However, it was like Al had said last night; some people did share the same last name but were no related in the slightest.

"It's a long story," Ed replied vaguely.

"We've got plenty of time," the younger Elric told him. Edward sighed through his nose.

"Do you remember when we were in that old city under Central and Dante sent me in the Gate?"

"You mean before you died?" Edward shuddered at the memory. Being impaled by Envy was not a pleasant experience and he didn't want to be reminded of it. Being dead wasn't so bad, and even the dying part was quick and mostly painless. However, he'd been terrified for Al's well-being; left at the mercy of Dante and the homunculi to be used and discarded as they saw fit.

"Yes, _before_ that. Anyway, I got sent to this side of the Gate but, somehow, my body and soul got separated, and I was dumped in the other me's body. This was during this world's "Great War" and a flying machine crashed on top of us. I got ejected from the other me's body and ended up back in our world," Ed explained. He was certain that he'd gotten the other Ed killed then. The poor bastard had been trapped under flaming beams surrounded by thick, suffocating smoke. There was no way he could have survived. At least, not on his own, anyway.

"And you're absolutely _sure_ that the other you died that night?"

"I _was_ sure. Now, not so much," Edward admitted. To be honest, there was no evidence that the other Ed had died. He had jumped to that conclusion because it made the most logical sense. He had been trapped in his alternate self's body, then they were crushed by a zeppelin and, all of a sudden, he found himself back in his own body on his side of the Gate. But the other Ed had been alive when he was ejected from his body. And that letter…

 _After what happened to me back in London…_ Edward suddenly remembered that the first time he came to this world in the other Ed's body, he was in a city called London.

 _Where am I? What city is this?_

 _I was in a city called "London," if I remember right…_

Edward shook his head free of old memories as they wouldn't do any good. They needed to find this guy regardless of who he was.

"I guess it doesn't really matter," Al murmured, snapping Ed out of his thoughts. "This person could still help us even if he _isn't_ the other you."

"I was thinking the same thing." Ed sighed and looked his younger brother in the eye. "Even if he _is_ the other Ed, that doesn't automatically warrant trust. You know that, right?" he said very seriously, referring to Officer Hughes who was a Nazi, Alfons who thought he was completely insane, and Noah who had teamed up with the Thule Society ( even if she did have good intentions behind it).

Al sighed, hating how confusing this all was. It was so confusing that people who had been their friends back home were evil, greedy or power-hungry here. On the flip side, those who had been their enemies in their world, were friends in this world; like Fuhrer Bradley, i.e. Fritz Lang. The Jewish man was so different from the homunculus they had fought over two years ago that Al would never have made the connection if it weren't for the physical resemblance. Considering how evil Fuhrer Bradley/Pride was, they should probably be grateful that Fritz was nothing like his counterpart.

The boy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by groans of discomfort. His eyes snapped up to his brother who using his palm to massage his left leg. Alphonse noticed that Edward had been having a lot of trouble with his automail lately. Ed wasn't known for being careful with the metal appendages but this was ridiculous. There hadn't been any bad weather in a while so it couldn't be that.

"Brother, is everything okay with your automail? It's been bothering you a lot lately," he said a little guilty. I wasn't fair that he got his full body back, got to be whole, while his older brother was still living automail. Worse than that, he was living with automail in a world where there were no automail engineers. It didn't even _exist_ in this world. Al got to be free of the armour but Ed would never be free of his metal limbs. Edward shrugged nonchalantly at his brother's question. Al pretended not to notice that he only lifted his left shoulder.

"It's just been aching a lot. Not a big deal," Ed replied.

"You being in pain isn't a big deal?" Alphonse deadpanned.

"I've been through worse. It's not the end of the world," Edward said, hoping that he sounded reassuring. The last thing he wanted was for his little brother to be a mother hen towards him. It wasn't so bad when Al was only a year younger than he was but now the age gap was so big. Five years. They were five years apart now. If Ed was protective of Al before, it was nothing compared to now. The age difference was very obvious, even if Al was easily catching up to him in height.

Alphonse stared out the window, watching the world rush by. He tuned out the distant chatter of the other passengers as he fell deeper into his own thoughts. He wanted to get to Berlin as fast as possible. The faster they got back home, the faster their lives could go back to normal. And the faster Al could get to his research project.

The younger brother had known for a long time that Edward had no intention of restoring his own body. Al had always been his top priority; that was no secret. The problem was that Edward had given up everything; his arm, his home, his freedom, and his future, to correct a past mistake. Sure, it only took them a few years but that could have easily been decades. Did Ed even realize what that would have done to Al? To watch his big brother throw away twenty, thirty, maybe even forty years of his life away for him? In hindsight, they were probably lucky. But that didn't mean that Al was okay with letting Ed spend the rest of his life with the pain of automail.

 _No_ , Al thought with determination. _That won't happen. You gave up everything for me. It's only fair that I do the same._

Equivalent Exchange, right?

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 **Author's Note: I know this chapter is a little slow but that _is_ intentional. It'll pick up a little later. Anyway, I wanted to thank Fir3danc3r for being the first (and hopefully not the last) to review this story. Speaking of which, I would like to send a special shout out to mpwtl125 for being the first to review Golden Trio, ajaton123 for being the first to review Tempted and Cookieplzandthnx for being the first to review The Mask. You guys are all awesome.**

 **~ Darth Synkka**


	4. Chapter 3 - Friend or Foe?

**Author's Note: Hey, guys here is the next chapter. We will meet many familiar faces. It was one of the things that was missing from the COS movie. Anyway, enjoy and Happy Independence Day to my American readers.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist**

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When the train pulled into the Berlin station, Ed and Al eagerly grabbed their suitcases, and exited the train. They pushed through the hubbub of German people, Ed holding onto the letter with an iron grip. It had Eduard Heiderich's address written on it so they couldn't lose it. Berlin's train station was a large, crowded place that made getting lost a rather easy feat indeed. Slowly, they made their way out of the maze that was the train station and into the filtered light of the city's day.

Germany's capital city was large, confusing and filled with exhaust from factories and passing cars. It really was much like Central City back home. Except Central had very few in terms of factories. It was mostly research labs for alchemists and scientists that littered Amestris' capital. Whatever industrial buildings Central had were kept to the outskirts of the city. That didn't mean that Amestris was lacking in industrialisation. In fact, there were many towns dedicated to various industries, though the most prominent were weapons and vehicles of war. Amestris _was_ a military state, after all.

Edward looked around the busy streets in absolute despair. Why didn't he pay more attention to the layout of the city when he was here? Or at the very least buy a fucking map? Ed cursed in Amestrian, his voice too low to be audible. There was no need to let Al know that they were totally and hopelessly lost. Not that Alphonse needed to be told that they were lost. He knew his brother far too well not notice something like that. He also knew that Edward Elric could teach a rock and a mule a few things about hard-headedness. He would never admit to not knowing where he was going.

"Brother, maybe we should ask for directions," Al suggested. Ed turned to glare at his brother.

"I don't need directions, Al. I'm not lost," he insisted. Al sweat-dropped at his brother's indignant declaration. It was the same tone he used when they were kids and he insisted that _he_ would get the last piece of pie, that it wasn't his turn to fold the laundry, or that _he_ would be the one to marry Winry. Some things never changed.

"Look, we have the address. All we have to do is ask someone how to get there," he said. His brother snorted skeptically.

"And when have things ever been that easy for us?" He had a point.

The brothers suddenly bumped into a figure that was all-to-familiar. The man had long black hair held back in a ponytail, amber eyes that seemed to glow like flames, and thin lips tilted up into a cruel smile. It was a man neither brother ever wanted to see again; Zolf J. Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist. The man, Kimblee, was dressed in a well-pressed white suit and hat instead of the standard blue uniform of the Amestrian military.

Edward gave Kimblee his best death glare as he automatically moved to stand between the black-haired psychopath and his little brother. The elder Elric refused to let Kimblee anywhere near Al. Not after what he did to him back in Liore.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" God, even his voice was as sinister as always. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Eduard Heiderich, would it?" Ed's fists tightened at his sides.

"No, it isn't," he replied in near-perfect German, though he did still speak it with an accent. Kimblee grinned wolfishly.

"Don't lie to me. You match the description perfectly," he said, frustration evident in his voice.

"And _I'm_ telling _you_ that you have me mistaken for someone else. My name is Edward _Elric_ ," he told the man firmly, emphasising his last name. Kimblee frowned but not in disbelief. Ed could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"Elric, eh? I guess that makes you Hohenheim's kid," he declared.

"Unfortunately," Ed murmured. "I take it you knew my father?"

"Not very well. We worked together for a short time under the same...employer," Kimblee replied.

 _That must mean that_ this _Kimblee's with Thule_ , Edward deduced. He honestly was not surprised that the Kimblee of this world would be villain as well. A villain that really wanted to get his hands on Heiderich. Ed had a bad feeling about this.

"You know, the resemblance between you and your father is uncanny," Kimblee said, making Ed frown. "The resemblance between you and Heiderich even more so. You could almost be twins."

"Your point?"

"I need to find him for my employer. You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?" asked Kimblee in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"With all do respect," Al intervened, not particularly enjoying the switch to German. The language barrier made adjusting to this world much harder than it had to be. That, and it put Al in a position he really didn't want to be in by letting Edward do the majority of the talking. Which was never a good idea because his fiery temper, and lack of a verbal filter. "We only just got here."

Kimblee opened his mouth, presumably to reply but was interrupted by a car pulling up on the curb.

"Eduard? Is that you? What are you doing here?" A smooth, silky, _familiar_ baritone called out. Though the voice had an unfamiliar accent to it both brothers easily recognized it. The man had short, slicked-back ebony hair, charcoal eyes and fair skin. It was Roy Mustang, or at least, this world's version of him.

Thankfully, Mustang's sudden appearance seemed to chase Kimblee away as he briefly left the brothers with his contact information and left down the street.

Roy exited the car, followed by a woman with long, wheat-blonde hair and red-brown eyes. Of _course_ this world's Riza world still be by Mustang's side. Some things never changed. It was actually kind of refreshing.

"Hey, Brother, is that...?" Al breathed.

"Yeah, it's General Bastard and Lieutenant Hawkeye," his brother replied, an unusual softness entering his voice.

"Are you alright? Who was that man?" Roy asked worriedly. Ed couldn't bring himself to look either of them in the eye.

"I'm sorry, but you have me mistaken for someone else," he murmured.

"But..but...you-you must be," Roy spluttered in shocked.

"Dear," interrupted the blonde woman's voice. "Our apologies, we thought you were a friend of ours," she explained politely.

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot lately," Ed nodded reluctantly. There was no doubt about it anymore. Kimblee, Mustang and even Hawkeye all mistook him for the same person. Eduard Heiderich _had_ to be the other Ed. Still, how the guy survived being crushed by a flaming zeppelin was a mystery yet to be solved.

"I am Elizabeth Mustang and this is my husband Roy," greeted Elizabeth. Ed couldn't help but splutter in surprise and amusement. So this world's Mustang actually had the balls to tell Hawkeye that he loved her? That was new. But then again, Roy and Elizabeth probably didn't have to worry about fraternization laws like Mustang and Hawkeye did.

"I'm Al Elric and this is my brother Ed," Al replied politely though he, too, was smiling in a mischievous manner.

"Elric? Where have I heard that name before?" mused Roy, fingering his chin.

"You may have heard it from Eduard Heiderich," said Ed, handing them the letter. "He sent this letter to our father, Van Hohenheim. He died back in November so we're the ones who received it."

"I...suppose you wanted to visit him in response to this letter." Roy didn't state it like a question but Al answered anyway.

"Yeah, that was the plan until _someone_ got us lost," he said, glaring at Ed with his hazel eyes.

"I was _not_ lost!" The golden-eyed young man growled in exasperation. Al rolled his eyes and proceeded to ask the married couple for directions. Not only were they willing to help, they even offered the Elric boys a ride. As it turned out, Eduard was staying at their place for a short while anyway. Ed and Al hopped into the backseat of the car and were on their way to meet the other Ed.

The ride to the Mustang house was silent and made excruciatingly long by the heavy traffic of the city. Ed stared vacantly out the car window, head held in one hand, not really looking at anything, as Al attempted to make polite conversation with the Mustangs in the front seat.

"So, how do you do you two know each other?" Al inquired, genuinely curious.

"He stayed with us for a few years. He had been a terrible accident and with no parents, I- _we_ both thought that it would be better than being homeless," Roy explained.

"Once he recovered, he insisted on looking for his younger brother," Elizabeth added. "And started studying the idea of multiple universes with a Gate that separates them."

"That's very interesting," Al replied sincerely.

"Your father thought so as well," said Roy, his voice tight and heavily controlled. Al pried no more as he could tell that Roy was not entirely happy about Hohenheim's visits to see Eduard. Ed was startled back into reality when the car stopped in front of a brick-made house. Ed and Al's hearts pounded in their chests as they approached the door that Roy was knocking on.

"Hello? Eduard, are you in there? It's Roy and Elizabeth," the black-haired man called out. He sighed when there was no answer. Not even the sound of footsteps on the floor. Two minutes passed and there was still nothing. He tried knocking again, more frustratedly, this time, but no answer. He murmured something in what sounded a lot like Xingese but was probably Chinese or the language of some other Asian country.

"He might be engrossed in a book of some sort," Elizabeth suggested. "You know how he gets when he reads."

"I _do_ know. Ed's just like that," Al blurted out, feeling a bit more cheerful. Roy's tilted up wryly.

"Ah, so he's a clumsy bookworm, as well?" he asked mischievously.

"No, I'm not!" Ed spluttered, his voice a few octaves higher than usual. Al and Roy giggled at the blonde alchemist's embarrassment. Even Elizabeth smiled a little.

"Well, you are a little...uncoordinated, Brother," Alphonse told his brother.

Ed's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance at his brother and the black-haired man in particular. "Bastard," the elder blonde grumbled out of habit. Roy lifted an eyebrow questioningly, an almost hurt look in his black eyes.

"That was rude."

"I-uh-you're...supposed to say; "Shrimp," or...something," Ed answered awkwardly. The hurt look disappeared from Roy's eyes, replaced by confusion. "Just...never mind." The golden-haired young man looked down at his feet, unable to look at Roy's face any longer. It was just another cruel reminder that they weren't at Eastern Headquarters, this wasn't their world, and this was not their Mustang. He pushed passed everyone and walked through the front door, not willing to put off meeting his other self any longer.

A dark aura surrounded Ed as he made his way through the house, not bothering to look at anyone's shocked faces. He needed to get away from there. Needed to get away from the Roy that wasn't Roy and the Riza that wasn't Riza. God, homesickness really fucking sucked.

Edward walked through the unfamiliar house, taking quick peeks in all the rooms. He didn't spot anyone in any of the rooms on the bottom floor. Maybe upstairs? Ed climbed the stairs quietly to check the upstairs rooms, mentally preparing himself to face his look-a-like. It couldn't be any weirder than living with his brother's doppelgänger for a year, right?

As he passed in front of a closed door, he could hear a soft male voice come from the other side. A voice that sounded far too much like his own for comfort. Ed raised his fist to knock on the door, hesitating for only a moment before knocking. The blonde jumped as he heard a scream followed by a crash. Ed cursed under his breath. He probably startled the poor bastard. Not that he blamed the guy.

"Hello?" he called as he quietly opened the door. "I'm a...friend of Roy's. He and Ha-I mean-Elizabeth let me in." Ed sweat-dropped at the sight of a broken bookcase and books lying all over the floor. On the ground, there was a young man that looked just like him. Same golden hair, though choppy, uneven and hanging around his shoulders, same golden eyes, and same short stature. He picked himself up off the floor, both hands on his aching backside; hands that looked heavily scarred by burns.

"Sorry about the mess. You really scared me there," the blonde German admitted while picking up some of his books.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Ed replied awkwardly.

"You know, I wasn't expecting...anyone..." the other blonde's voice trailed off as he finally looked up, his jaw falling to the floor as his wide golden eyes met a pair identical to his own.

* * *

 **Author's Note: So, here it is. It's a little longer than my others but that's because this used to be two separate chapters. Actually, the scene where Ed and Al meet Eduard was one of the first scenes I wrote for this story. Anyway, Kimblee's appearance is strongly based on his Brotherhood look because I really liked his design in the 2009 anime. Speaking of Brotherhood, the scene where Al calls Ed uncoordinated is borrowed from the scene in Brotherhood where Ed and Al get to North City, Ed slips and falls down the stairs and Al calls his brother "uncoordinated."**

 **Someone please tell me you understand the reference in the last scene. I planned on the chapter ending with Ed meeting his other self but I felt like ending this on a slightly angsty note.**

 **Please tell me what you think. I really do like getting reviews. They motivate me to keep writing.**

 **~ Darth Synkka**


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